Where can you find 17 of the highest mountain peaks in the U.S.? What about 70 active volcanoes? The answer is Alaska. What you may not expect after learning those stats is that it is also one of the most popular states for destination weddings.
Here is just a snapshot of what Alaskan weddings have to offer.
Remarkable Wedding Pictures
Users share up to 95 million pictures on Instagram every single day. The dense Alaskan wilderness and Alaska’s beautiful wildlife, snowy mountaintops and peaks, volcanoes, and fields of deep blue glaciers make it very picture-friendly. When snapping breath-taking wedding shots, here are a few things to expect:
- “More than 57 million acres of designated wilderness: watersheds, mountain ranges, glaciers, wetlands, coastlines, volcanoes, tundra, forests, and wild and scenic rivers,” according to the National Park Service (NPS).
- An estimated 100,000 glaciers, with 1,000 Glacier Bay National Park alone.
- As many as 430 bird species and 70 different mammal species, and animals ranging from the size of a penny (the pygmy shrew) to 45-ton gray whales.
Weddings On Ice
Speaking of Insta-friendly or heavily Instagrammable moments, tying the knot on a glacier or a field of glaciers is bound to be as unforgettable as the pictures. Throw your wedding outdoors with a beautiful glacial backdrop, or take a glacier flight, land on top of one of Alaska’s many glaciers, exchange vows and rings while standing on the ice, and mark the day with an extraordinary Alaska glacier wedding.
Of course, like any other wedding, it is important to keep your intentions in mind. For medium to large weddings, outdoor or Alaskan lodge weddings are best. If you are getting eloped or bringing along just one or two loved ones, saying “I do” on a luminous blue glacier should work out beautifully. Take a glacier flight prior to the ceremony to work out the practicalities of it–yes, like what shoes to wear.
Weddings Large And Small, Rustic and Daring
One of the main benefits of getting married in Alaska is its versatility. Alaska makes it possible to do something special for your wedding, whatever something special personally means to you. If you would like to opt for a more traditional wedding and get married inside a rustic lodge or in a beautiful outdoor ceremony with an arch and seating, that is more than possible.
Conversely, if you want to stand on top of a glacier, look out over the edge of a cliff, get married by the water, or exchange rings in a lush botanical garden, that is very possible, too. Whatever you want to do, Alaska has it all!
Seasonal Perks
Fall and winter can be a bit dark and unpredictable in Alaska. Even so, it is the time of year to enjoy the world-famous Aurora, Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. The lights are most visible in February and early March. Seeing the glowing, ethereal lights, for many, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Imagine capturing wedding photos with the Aurora Borealis in the background!
Of course, if you are not adamant about braving the extreme cold, that’s okay, too! According to The Knot, “Day temperatures are nice and comfortable, typically falling between 60 degrees and 80 degrees.” If you are more of a fair-weather person, plan weddings and wedding receptions during summer.
The Perfect Place To Honeymoon
Immediately after getting married, few people can say that they have already arrived in the perfect place to honeymoon. Alaska is not just riddled with eye-catching venues. It is also the perfect location to celebrate your time as newlyweds. Alaska offers hiking, wildlife tours, dogsled tours, glacier flights, and helicopter tours–and that’s just the beginning.
Alaskan weddings have it all. From wedding day excitement and breath-taking views and photos to adventure-packed honeymoons filled with glacier flights and mountain climbing. Talk to tour guides and book your wedding package today!
